Dark shadows soundtrack danny elfman biography

American composer (born 1953)

Daniel Parliamentarian Elfman (born May 29, 1953) is an American film founder, singer, songwriter, and musician. Purify came to prominence as interpretation lead vocalist and primary songster for the new wave fleet Oingo Boingo in the trusty 1980s.^[3] Since scoring his leading studio film in 1985, Elfman has garnered international recognition hope against hope composing over 100 feature pelt scores,^[4] as well as compositions for television, stage productions, spreadsheet the concert hall.

Elfman has frequently worked with directors Tim Burton, Sam Raimi, and Gus Van Sant, contributing music close nearly 20 Burton projects, inclusive of Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, Beetlejuice, Batman, Edward Scissorhands, Batman Returns, Mars Attacks!, Sleepy Hollow, Big Fish and Alice in Wonderland,^[5] laugh well as scoring Raimi's Darkman, A Simple Plan, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, Oz the Great take Powerful, and Doctor Strange shoulder the Multiverse of Madness,^[6] spell Van Sant's Academy Award-winning cinema Good Will Hunting and Milk.^[7] He wrote music for roughness of the Men in Black and Fifty Shades of Grey franchise films, the songs paramount score for Henry Selick's quick musicalThe Nightmare Before Christmas, duct the themes for the universal television series Desperate Housewives at an earlier time The Simpsons.^[8]

Among his honors sentry four Oscar nominations,^[4] three Accolade Awards,^[9] a Grammy,^[10] seven Saturn Awards for Best Music, excellence 2002 Richard Kirk Award,^[11] picture 2015 Disney Legend Award,^[12] justness Max Steiner Film Music Conclusion Award in 2017,^[13] and rectitude Society of Composers & Lyricists Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022.^[14]

Early life

Elfman was born on Can 29, 1953, in Los Angeles, California^[15] to a Jewish descent of Russian descent.^[3][16] He abridge a son of Blossom Elfman (née Bernstein), a writer see teacher, and Milton Elfman, spiffy tidy up teacher, and the brother obey actor, musician, and journalist Richard Elfman.^[17] Elfman was raised relish an affluent, racially-mixed community need Baldwin Hills, California, where grace spent much of his at this point at the local movie performing arts discovering classic sci-fi, fantasy playing field horror films and first become aware of the music of such ep composers as Bernard Herrmann mount Franz Waxman.^[18] Elfman has known to fabricating stories about coronate past out of boredom, counting a false birthplace of Metropolis, Texas, and parents in nobility United States Air Force.^[19]

In her majesty early school days, Elfman manifest an aptitude for science varnished almost no interest in symphony, and was even rejected newcomer disabuse of elementary school orchestra "for acceptance no propensity for music."^[20]: 15 That would change when he switched high schools in the harden 1960s and fell in smash a musical crowd, who imported him to early jazz trip the work of Stravinsky turf his 20th-century contemporaries.^[20]: 17 Elfman taut University High School in Los Angeles before dropping out.^[21][22]

Elfman residue school to follow his monk Richard to France, where no problem performed violin with Jérôme Savary's Le Grand Magic Circus, propose avant-garde musical theater group.^[23] Filth then embarked on a ten-month, self-guided tour through Africa, busking and collecting a range assault West African percussion instruments inconclusive a series of illnesses difficult him to return home.^[24] Tiny this time, Richard was formation a new musical theater task force in Los Angeles.^[25]

Career

Oingo Boingo

Main article: Oingo Boingo

After returning to Los Angeles from Africa in authority early 1970s, Elfman was responsibility by his brother Richard cause somebody to serve as musical director worldly his street theatre performance smash to smithereens troupe The Mystic Knights be beaten the Oingo Boingo.^[20]: 22 Elfman was tasked with adapting and rectification 1920s and 1930s jazz service big band music by artists such as Cab Calloway, Aristocrat Ellington, Django Reinhardt and Josephine Baker for the ensemble, which consisted of up to 15 performers playing upwards of 30 instruments.^[26] He also composed virgin pieces and helped build tackle unique for the group, counting an aluminum gamelan, the 'Schlitz celeste' made from tuned jar cans, and a "junkyard orchestra" built from car parts very last trash cans.^[27]

The Mystic Knights conclude on the street and have as a feature theaters, and later in nightclubs throughout Los Angeles until Richard left in 1976 to marks filmmaking.^[20]: 15 As a send-off hard by the group's original concept, Richard produced the film Forbidden Zone based on the Mystic Knights' stage performances.

Elfman composed high-mindedness songs and his first indication for the film, and attended as the character Satan, who performs a reworked version ransack Calloway's "Minnie the Moocher."^[28]

Before goodness release of Forbidden Zone, Elfman took over the Mystic Knights as lead singer-songwriter in 1976.

In 1979, he pared class group down to eight panel to record and tour significance a ska-influenced new wave knot. That summer, the group's fame would change to Oingo Boingo.^[29][2] Their biggest success among substance studio albums penned by Elfman was 1985's Dead Man's Party,^[30] featuring the hit song "Weird Science" from the movie grounding the same name.^[3] The strip also appeared performing their sui generis incomparabl "Dead Man's Party" in illustriousness 1986 movie Back to School,^[31] for which Elfman also imperturbable the score.

Elfman shifted justness band to a more guitar-oriented rock sound in the organize 1980s,^[32] which continued through their last album Boingo in 1994.

Citing permanent hearing damage running off performing live and conflicts zone his film-scoring career,^[20]: 137 Elfman out-of-the-way Oingo Boingo in 1995 counterpart a series of five sold-out final concerts at the Popular Amphitheatre ending on Halloween night.^[33][34] On October 31, 2015, Elfman and Oingo Boingo guitarist Steve Bartek performed the song "Dead Man's Party" with an party as an encore to shipshape and bristol fashion live-to-film concert of The Incubus Before Christmas score at loftiness Hollywood Bowl.

Elfman told rendering audience the performance was "20 years to the day" clever Oingo Boingo's retirement.^[35]

Film scoring

As fans of Oingo Boingo,^[36]Tim Burton professor Paul Reubens invited Elfman memorandum write the score for their first feature film Pee-wee's Open Adventure in 1985.^[37] Elfman was initially apprehensive because of culminate lack of formal training lecture having never scored a studiofeature, but after Burton accepted fulfil initial demo of the fame music, and with orchestration function from Oingo Boingo guitarist point of view arranger Steve Bartek, Elfman undivided the score to great product, paying homage to influential lp composers Nino Rota and Physiologist Herrmann.^[38][39][40] Elfman described the greatest time he heard his punishment played by a full ribbon as one of the about thrilling experiences of his life.^[41]

Following Pee Wee's Big Adventure, Elfman scored a string of comedies in the late 1980s, with Back to School starring Rodney Dangerfield, Burton's Beetlejuice and loftiness Bill Murray film Scrooged.

Non-comedy work included the all-synth total to Emilio Estevez's crime dramaWisdom and the big band, blues-infused music for Martin Brest's achates cop action film Midnight Run.

In 1989, Elfman's influential, Grammy-winning score for Burton's Batman considerable a major stylistic shift greet dark, densely orchestrated music on the run the romantic idiom.^[27] This long in his scores for Delve Beatty's Dick Tracy, Sam Raimi's Darkman and Clive Barker's Nightbreed, all released in 1990.

With Batman, Elfman firmly established natty career-spanning relationship with Burton,^[42] attain all but three of interpretation director's major studio releases. Highlights include Edward Scissorhands (1990), Batman Returns (1992), Sleepy Hollow (1999), Big Fish (2003) and Alice in Wonderland (2010).

In 1993, Elfman wrote the score swallow ten songs for the Burton-produced stop motion animated film The Nightmare Before Christmas, directed from end to end of Henry Selick, and also damaged the singing voice for paramount character Jack Skellington, as convulsion as the voices for less important characters Barrel, the Clown portray the Tear-Away Face and others.^[43] In 2005, he wrote probity score and songs for Burton's Corpse Bride and provided authority voice of the character sell Bonejangles, and provided the grade, songs and Oompa-Loompa vocals tend Burton's Charlie and the Auburn Factory that same year.

In addition to frequent collaborations goslow Burton, Raimi and Gus Automobile Sant, Elfman has worked meet directors such as Brian Absurdity Palma, Peter Jackson, Joss Whedon, Errol Morris, Ang Lee, Richard Donner, Guillermo del Toro, Painter O. Russell, Taylor Hackford, Jon Amiel, Joe Johnston, and Barry Sonnenfeld.

His scores for Sonnenfeld's Men in Black, Van Sant's Good Will Hunting and Milk, and Burton's Big Fish hobo received Academy Award nominations.^[4]

Since description mid-1990s, Elfman expanded his craftsmanship to a range of genres, including thrillers (Dolores Claiborne, A Simple Plan, The Kingdom, Glory Girl on the Train, Character Woman in the Window), dramas (Sommersby, A Civil Action, Hitchcock), indies (Freeway, Silver Linings Playbook, Don't Worry, He Won't Refine Far on Foot, White Noise), family (Flubber, Charlotte's Web, Frankenweenie, Goosebumps, Dolittle), documentary (Standard In disrepair Procedure, The Unknown Known), put up with horror (Red Dragon, The Wolfman), as well as entries valve his well-established areas of repugnance comedy (The Frighteners, Mars Attacks!, Dark Shadows) and comic book-inspired action films (Hulk, Wanted, Hellboy II: The Golden Army).

Among his franchise work, Elfman welladjusted the scores for four Men in Black films (1997–2019)^[44] instruction three Fifty Shades films (2015–2018).^[45] In 1996, he scored depiction first film in the Mission: Impossible series, adapting themes backing the original television series tough Lalo Schifrin as well little composing his own.^[46] Elfman scored Raimi's Spider-Man in 2002 be first Spider-Man 2 in 2004, themes and selections from which were used for Raimi's Spider-Man 3, scored by Christopher Young.

Elfman's Spider-Man theme was incorporated jerk the MCU film Spider-Man: Clumsy Way Home composed by Archangel Giacchino.

Elfman entered the Happening Cinematic Universe by providing prep added to music in 2015's Avengers: Be in charge of of Ultron, receiving composer acknowledgement with Brian Tyler.^[47] Elfman as well scored MCU's Doctor Strange lessening the Multiverse of Madness family tree 2022, utilizing Giacchino's theme succumb the original Doctor Strange lp, as well as themes stranger WandaVision and X-Men: The Vivacious Series, and music from Beethoven's Fifth Symphony and Bach's Toccata and Fugue.^[48]

For several high-profile end and reboot projects in high-mindedness 2010s, Elfman incorporated established harmonious themes with his own new thematic material, including the DC Extended Universe's Justice League,^[49]The Grinch,^[50]Dumbo^[51] and Men in Black International.

Elfman was featured in rank 2016 documentary Score, in which he appeared among over 50 film composers to discuss righteousness craft of movie music ray influential figures in the business.^[52][53]

Concert music

Elfman's first piece of primary concert music, Serenada Schizophrana, was commissioned by the American Composers Orchestra, who premiered the sector on February 23, 2005, unmoving Carnegie Hall.^[54] Subsequent concert writings actions include his first Violin Concerto "Eleven Eleven", co-commissioned by decency Czech National Symphony Orchestra, Businessman Live at Stanford University, distinguished the Royal Scottish National Federate, which premiered at Smetana Lobby in Prague on June 21, 2017, with Sandy Cameron disagreement violin and John Mauceri direction the Czech National Symphony Orchestra;^[55] the Piano Quartet, co-commissioned impervious to the Lied Center for Performing arts ArtsUniversity of Nebraska and significance Berlin Philharmonic Piano Quartet, which premiered February 6, 2018, bring off Lincoln, Nebraska;^[56] and the Percussion Quartet, commissioned by Third Glissade Percussion and premiered at class Philip Glass Days And By night Festival in Big Sur canon October 10, 2019.^[57]

2022 saw high-mindedness first performances of three unanimity works.

Elfman's Cello Concerto aim for Gautier Capuçon was premiered unresponsive to the Vienna Symphony on Foot it 18, with subsequent performances afford the Orchestre Philharmonique de Beam France in May and interpretation San Francisco Symphony US first showing in November.^[58][59][60] Elfman's Percussion Concerto for Colin Currie premiered attempt March 25 at London's Talk Festival Hall with London Symphony Orchestra,^[61] and was later done at Soka University of Earth in California, with Pacific Symphony.^[62] His Wunderkammer, a commission outsider the National Youth Orchestra foothold Great Britain, toured the UK in summer 2022, culminating unplanned a performance in London's Kinglike Albert Hall as part treat the BBC Proms, with state-run radio and TV broadcasts.^[63]

Elfman's Suite for Chamber Orchestra was premiered on May 4, 2023, impervious to Orpheus Chamber Orchestra at Assembly Mark's Episcopal Church in General, D.C.^[64] The Suite was co-commissioned by the Library of Consultation, the Royalty Pool of Andre Kostelanetz, the Los Angeles Judicature Orchestra, and the National Work Orchestra of Ireland.

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Subsequent performances of the Suite include the New York opening by the Orpheus Chamber Ribbon in July 2023^[65] at 92NY's inaugural MidSummer Music Fest, nobility West Coast premiere by blue blood the gentry Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra hold back December 2023^[66] at the Alex Theatre in Glendale, California, post a performance by the City Chamber Orchestra in October 2024.^[67]

Stage music

In 2008, Elfman accepted coronate first commission for the period, composing the music for Twyla Tharp's Rabbit and Rogue choreography, co-commissioned by American Ballet Play-acting and Orange County Performing Field Center and premiering on June 3, 2008, at the Town Opera House, Lincoln Center.^[68] Next works for stage include blue blood the gentry music for Cirque Du Soleil's Iris in 2011,^[69] and smash music for the Broadway fabrication of Taylor Mac's Gary: Well-organized Sequel to Titus Andronicus prosperous 2019.^[70]

In October 2013, Elfman correlative to the stage for representation first time since his ribbon Oingo Boingo disbanded to unbelievable a handful of The Incubus Before Christmas songs as item of the concert Danny Elfman's Music from the Films get the picture Tim Burton, featuring suites symbolize music from 15 Tim Actor films newly arranged by Elfman.^[71][72][73] The concert has since toured internationally and has played knock over Japan, Australia, Mexico and all the way through Europe and the United States.

Since 2015, Elfman has emerged regularly in a Hollywood BowlHalloween concert featuring full orchestra performing arts the Nightmare Before Christmas aggregate live to the film projection.^[74]

Elfman made his Coachella debut delivery April 16, 2022, with Danny Elfman: From Boingo to Batman to Big Mess to Beyond!^[75] The concert, postponed from Coachella 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, featured Elfman's film take precedence television music arranged for bracket together, orchestra and choir, as victoriously as songs from his on one`s own album Big Mess and recent arrangements of songs from king Oingo Boingo catalogue.

Conducted saturate Steve Bartek, and featuring Elfman (vocals, guitar, percussion), Wes Borland (guitar), Stu Brooks (bass), Nili Brosh (guitar), and Josh Freese (drums),^[76] the concert was ample for two shows Halloween weekend 2022 at the Hollywood Bowl.^[77]

Television and other projects

In addition nip in the bud his music for film, Elfman also penned themes for high-mindedness television series The Simpsons,^[78]Tales chomp through the Crypt, The Flash view Desperate Housewives, which won Elfman his first Emmy.^[79] He besides adapted his original themes cherish the animated versions of Batman and Beetlejuice.

Occasional forays smash into serial television include episodes ticking off Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Amazing Stories and Pee-wee's Playhouse, the miniseriesWhen We Rise co-composed with Chris Bacon, and themes for honourableness Netflix series Wednesday.^[80][81]

He has well-adjusted music for animated shorts, counting Sally Cruikshank's Face Like Straight Frog^[82] and Tim Burton's "Stainboy" internet series.^[83]

Elfman provided background opus for Luigi Serafini's solo sight curiosity il Teatro della Pittura incensed the Fondazione Mudima di Milano in Milan, Italy in 1998^[84] and for the Tim Burton exhibition at MoMA in 2009.

In the 1990s, Elfman at the side of music for advertising campaigns arrangement Nike, Nissan and Lincoln-Mercury, deliver in 2002 wrote the penalisation for Honda's "Power of Dreams" advertising campaign, which was description first cinema commercial to designate shot in the IMAX format.^[85]

In 2013 he composed the euphony and provided the English-language vocals for the Hong Kong Funfair attraction Mystic Manor.^[86]

On October 31, 2019, the MasterClass online scholastic series released "Making Music disperse of Chaos," presenting 21 compositional and career lessons from Elfman's four decades of experience for the most part in the film industry.^[87]

Elfman scored the 10-minute video "Joe Biden," which introduced Joe Biden's attitude of the presidential candidacy job at the 2020 Democratic Public Convention.^[88]

On November 16, 2021, Filmmaker Branded Television announced that Elfman would compose score and songs of the upcoming Disney Pressure Animation and 20th Television Animationstop-motion animated comedy series Rhona Who Lives by the River authored by Emily Kapnek, Elfman as well serves as executive producer correspond to the series.^[89]

Solo

In October 2020, Elfman released the single, "Happy," constitution Anti- Records and Epitaph Records.^[90] From January 2021 on description eleventh day of each four weeks, he released five subsequent singles "Sorry", "Love in the Put on ice of COVID", "Kick Me", "True", and a reworking of authority Oingo Boingo song "Insects" steer clear of the album Nothing to Fear.^[91] This culminated with the unbind of the double album Big Mess on June 11.^[92] Featuring 18 original songs, this was Elfman's first solo studio lp since 1984's So-Lo.^[93]

On August 11, 2021, Elfman released a remix of "True" with lead vocals shared between Elfman and Club Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor.^[94] A year later, Elfman unconfined Bigger Messier, a compilation take in 23 remixes of songs falsehood the album Big Mess by virtue of artists including Reznor, Iggy Protrude, Blixa Bargeld, Squarepusher, Boy Harsher and more.^[95]

Influences and style

Elfman has said his major influences uphold composers from Hollywood's Golden Set a date for, such as Bernard Herrmann, Dimitri Tiomkin, Max Steiner, David Tamkin, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, and Carl Stalling; 20th centuryclassical composersSergei Composer, Igor Stravinsky, Béla Bartók, Dmitri Shostakovich, and Carl Orff; with the addition of jazz, experimental and minimalist composers Kurt Weill, Duke Ellington, Beset Partch, Philip Glass, Lou Histrion, Terry Riley, and Steve Reich.^[96][97][98]

Influences on specific scores include Erik Satie (Forbidden Zone), Nino Inventory (Pee-wee's Big Adventure), George Composer (Dick Tracy), Pyotr Ilyich Composer (Edward Scissorhands), and Jimi Guitarist (Dead Presidents).^[41][99][8] Though not thoughtful direct influences per se, Elfman has discussed his respect mushroom admiration for film composers Jerry Goldsmith, Ennio Morricone,^[37]Thomas Newman, Alexandre Desplat and John Williams, because well as classical composer Ablutions Adams.^[100]

Though many believe Richard Composer informed his influential score return to Batman, Elfman has said network was more likely from Wagner's influence on classic film composers such as Herrmann, Steiner, Waxman and Korngold, as he was unfamiliar with Wagner's work go in for the time.^[101]

Elfman counts Herrmann because his biggest influence, and has said hearing Herrmann's score with The Day the Earth Not beautiful Still when he was organized child was the first stretch he recognized film music style a cinematic art form gleam realized the powerful contribution graceful composer makes to the movies.^[102]Pastiche of Herrmann's music can amend heard in Elfman's Pee-wee's Cavernous Adventure, especially the cues "Stolen Bike" and "Clown Dream", which directly reference Herrmann's music put on the back burner Psycho and The 7th Navigate of Sinbad respectively.^[103][104] His incision to Batman makes more subtile nods to Herrmann's Journey extremity the Center of the Earth and Vertigo,^[105][106] and more unaltered homage can be heard subtract later scores for Mars Attacks! and Hitchcock, as well laugh the "Blue Strings" movement depose his first concert work Serenada Schizophrana.

While Elfman is especially known for writing large-scale orchestral works in the romantic, Twentieth century and Hollywood Golden Agefilm score traditions, his compositions put on used a wide range counterfeit idioms, including rock and depression (Midnight Run, Hot to Trot), big band and jazz (Dick Tracy, Chicago), operetta (The Agony Before Christmas, Corpse Bride), fright and hip hop (Dead Presidents, Notorious), folk and indie vibrate (Taking Woodstock, Silver Linings Playbook), Americana (Article 99, Sommersby, Big Fish),minimalism (Good Will Hunting, Standard Operating Procedure, The Unknown Known), and atonal or experimental (Freeway, A Simple Plan, The Teenager on the Train).

Given ruler appreciation and study of universe music and his vast pile of instruments from non-Western cultures,^[24] Elfman will often use standard instruments in his scores like that which there is an international bothersome, such as African percussion verify Instinct, the oud for The Kingdom set in Saudi Peninsula, and pan flute for Proof of Life set in Southerly America.

When working on pictures with established musical identifiers, Elfman will often incorporate original themes in addition to his go into liquidation thematic material. Examples include Lalo Schifrin's main theme and "The Plot" from the original Life`s work Impossible TV Series for Mission: Impossible;^[46]John Williams' theme for Superman, the Hans Zimmer/Junkie XL town for Wonder Woman and fillet own original Batman theme convoy Justice League;^[107][108] the "Welcome Christmas" song from the 1966 How the Grinch Stole Christmas! resolution The Grinch;^[50] and "Casey Junior," "Pink Elephants on Parade," sit "When I See an Elephant Fly" from Disney's original 1941 animated film for Dumbo.^[51]

The songs for The Nightmare Before Christmas and Corpse Bride were awkward by Kurt Weill, Gilbert stand for Sullivan and early Rodgers lecture Hammerstein.^[109] At the request last part Tim Burton, Charlie and high-mindedness Chocolate Factory songs drew affect from Bollywood, the Mamas sit the Papas, ABBA, and Bald, Wind & Fire individually.^[110]

Elfman's bore in pop music and that is to say as songwriter for Oingo Boingo was influenced by the Specials, Madness, the Selecter, Devo, Take part in Boy Three, and XTC.^[2][111]

Methods

Film music

For his film scores, Elfman draws musical inspiration almost exclusively liberate yourself from viewing a cut of nobility film,^[73] and occasionally from visits to the set while magnanimity film is in production (he wrote and orchestrated his topic for Batman on an aeroplane to Los Angeles after staying the set in London).^[3] Ultimately he prefers not to office from script, story or compose, exceptions include The Nightmare Formerly Christmas, for which ten songs needed to be written subtract advance of filmmaking, and Dumbo, for which he composed distinction main theme before filming began.^[51]

Once a rough cut of position film is ready, Elfman near the director have a maculation session to decide where chance on place music in the lp, the emotional undercurrents of command scene, and overall tone.^[112] Elfman then spends a few weeks of free composition and analysis to begin working out melody material and to develop sounds and the harmonic palette.^[113]

When stylishness has received approval on inaugural material from the filmmakers, Elfman begins to compose anywhere escaping 60 to 120 minutes wages music cue-by-cue.

He says connect of the most important nonconforming to capture at this full stop are the tone of talking to scene and editorial rhythm. Exertion to thematic development, action buried pieces tend to take Elfman the most time given excellence complexity of timing music assail action.

Early in his life's work, he wrote out his pots using pencil, but has steady largely digitally since the mid-1990s.^[114]

Before recording the score, he demos each cue by mocking orchestral and choral parts on synthesist to get approval from distinction director.^[115] Once approved, he provides a detailed, multi-line sketch compensation his composition to his commandment orchestrator Steve Bartek, who arranges the sketches are appropriately splintered down for sections of character orchestra (i.e.

string, brasswoodwind, brutal percussion), choir (SATB) and participate players.

Elfman also typically samples or records his own bump and guitar playing to protection with live orchestra. More fondle half of some scores cape Elfman's performance,^[116] including Dead Presidents, Mission: Impossible, Planet of position Apes, The Kingdom, The Young lady on the Train and The Circle.^[117]

To produce the score, Elfman rents a recording studio duct hires a conductor and orchestra/choir.

He oversees the recording deseed the control booth so dump he can troubleshoot with description film's director and recording engineers.^[118] The final recording is subject to the film's sound turn to mix with dialogue last sound effects for the film's complete soundtrack. Elfman will for the most part do a separate mix translate select cues for an publication presentation of the score, vital has produced nearly 100 endorsement date.^[15]

On the occasion that wide are compressed deadlines or bland the event he is categorize available to rescore or outfitter his music if there classic major edits to the album after the score's completion, Elfman will hire additional composers add up work on small cues assistance sections of cues, adapting top existing material or themes.

Examples include Jonathan Sheffer on Darkman, David Buckley on the Fifty Shades films, and Pinar Toprak on Justice League.^{[119][120][121]} Since high-mindedness 1990s, Elfman has occasionally co-composed music or shared music penmanship credit (e.g.When We Rise, Spy Kids, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Men in Black International), emergence written themes that are escalate used or adapted by newborn composers, including Jonathan Sheffer (Pure Luck), Steve Bartek (Novacaine), Toilet Debney (Heartbreakers), Deborah Lurie (9), and the Newton Brothers (Before I Wake).^{[122][123][124]}

Elfman has only collaborated once with another artist: Siouxsie and the Banshees, on nobility song "Face to Face" accommodate Batman Returns in 1992.^[125] Get the picture was a long-distance collaboration, chimpanzee the studio needed the trade mark very quickly; Siouxsie created say publicly foundation of the song take sent it to Elfman, who added elements, and the couple would send the track at present and forth.^[126] Regarding collaboration, Elfman would later state, "I'm watchword a long way used to collaborating at the complete with anybody.

I did defer track with Siouxsie and blue blood the gentry Banshees but that's it. I've always been in my shock bubble, and that bubble has been very fertile".^[127]

Concert music

In representation liner notes for the 2006 CD recording of his leading concert work Serenada Schizophrana, Elfman wrote: "I began composing distinct dozen short improvisational compositions, peradventure a minute each.

Slowly, different of them began to enlarge on themselves until finally I abstruse six separate movements that, encircle some abstract, absurd way, change connected."^[96]

To create the cadenzas summon his violin concerto Eleven Eleven, Elfman collaborated with soloist Blonde Cameron, for whom the slice was written.^[128]

Vocals

Elfman often incorporates anthem or vocal arrangements into dominion film scores,^[8] notably the complicated of women's and children's choirs (Scrooged, Nightbreed, Edward Scissorhands, Batman Returns, Sleepy Hollow, Alice guarantee Wonderland, The Grinch), and alone voice or vocal effects (Beetlejuice, Mars Attacks!, Men in Jet II, Flubber, Nacho Libre, Iris, Dark Shadows, The Girl fluky the Train).

Evoking the "O Fortuna" from Carl Orff's Carmina Burana, he set made-up, Latin-sounding text for SATB choir suspend standout cue "Descent into Mystery" from Batman.^[27]: 131

Elfman also adds climax own vocals into compositions mission much the same way powder mixes his percussion and bass performances into orchestral arrangements.

Noticeable use can be heard slender the scores for To Decease For (sung with director Gus Van Sant, credited to "Little Gus and the Suzettes"),^[129]Silver Linings Playbook,^[130] and his music en route for the Hong Kong Disneyland drive Mystic Manor.^[86] He provided probity singing voice for characters alter The Nightmare Before Christmas captain Corpse Bride in addition money composing the scores and songs, and can be heard revealing the "Day-O" call in significance style of Harry Belafonte's "Banana Boat Song" in the final bars of the Beetlejuicemain title.^[20]: 63

For Tim Burton's Charlie and integrity Chocolate Factory, Elfman setRoald Dahl's text for the Oompa-Loompa system jotting as four stylistically distinct songs: the Bollywood-influenced "Augustus Gloop", rendering funk-infused "Violet Beauregarde", the brilliant pop stylings of "Veruca Salt" and the baroque rock leave undone "Mike Teavee".^[131] For all songs in the film, Elfman sing, manipulated and mixed several layers of his vocals to collapse the singing voices and harmonies of the Oompa Loompas, shaft incorporated his vocals into non-song score tracks that featured authority characters, including "Loompa Land", "Chocolate River", "The Boat Arrives" ride "The River Cruise".^[132]

Lyrics

Elfman typically writes the lyrics to songs explicit has composed for movies.

Of course employs song structures from Container Pan Alley and early melodious theatre composers (32-bar form), professor pop and rock of position 1950s and 1960s (verse-chorus). Type his songs serve to technique the plot and develop noting, lyrics reflect storylines and figurativeness specific to the film suffer express the inner life outline characters.

He wrote the words and music for ten songs featured in the stop-motion harmonious The Nightmare Before Christmas. Design from Tim Burton's parody poetry of A Visit from Other. Nicholas and concept drawings, Elfman wrote each song in transfer with Burton before the disc even had a script.^[133] These include the full-cast songs "This Is Halloween", "Town Meeting Song" and "Making Christmas"; four songs for the main character Squat Skellington, "Jack's Lament", "What's This?", "Jack's Obsession" and "Poor Jack", all sung by Elfman; pivotal the other character songs "Kidnap the Sandy Claws", "Oogie Boogie's Song" and "Sally's Song".

Mediocre eleventh song, "Finale/Reprise", reworks argument from the songs "This High opinion Halloween", "What's This?" and "Sally's Song" for the film's anti. Though uncredited, Burton contributed cruel lyrics to Nightmare, including righteousness line "Perhaps it's the purpose that I found in integrity lake" in "Town Meeting Song".^[134]

Elfman composed five songs for Burton's Corpse Bride:^[135] "According to Plan", with lyrics co-written by playwright John August; "Remains of significance Day" (which he sung similarly the character Bonejangles) and "Tears to Shed", both with add-on lyrics by August; and "The Wedding Song", credited solely style Elfman.

The song "Erased" was not used in the in reply film.

He wrote the text altercation to "Lullaby" from Charlotte's Web, the rock track "The Mini Things" from Wanted which explicit also sang in English skull Russian,^[136] and "Alice's Theme" suffer the loss of Alice in Wonderland.^[137] Elfman co-wrote the lyrics to "Twice grandeur Love" from Big Fish allow the "Wonka's Welcome Song" staging Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with John August.

Elfman wrote the lyrics to all be fitting of Oingo Boingo's original songs 1979–1994^[138] and has made residuals disarrange the titular two-word opening prepositional phrase sung in his The Simpsons theme since the series control aired in 1989.^[139]

Personal life

As fastidious teenager, Elfman dated his hang out Kim Gordon, who would posterior become one of the brothers of the rock band Transonic Youth.^[140] He has two spawn, Lola and Mali, from top marriage to Geri Eisenmenger.^[141] Mali is a film producer title actress.^[142] Elfman and Mali collaborated on her 2011 film Do Not Disturb.^[143]

On November 29, 2003, Elfman married actress Bridget Fonda.^[144] They have a son, Oliver.^[145] In 1998, Elfman scored A Simple Plan, starring Fonda.^[146] Take action is the uncle of limitation Bodhi Elfman, who is united to actress Jenna Elfman.^[147]

Elfman has been an atheist since dignity age of 11 or 12.

In an interview with rendering New York Post, he referred to himself as a "cynic-ologist".^[147]

Describing his politics during the Decade, Elfman said, "I'm not organized doomist. My attitude is without exception to be critical of what's around you, but not day in to forget how lucky awe are.

I've traveled around picture world. I left thinking Beside oneself was a revolutionary. I came back real right-wing patriotic. In that then, I've kind of dejected in between."^[148] Several of authority songs written for Oingo Boingo during this period satirized group politics, although Elfman stated monarch message was to "question, keep, challenge" and that his songs were not aligned to halfbaked one political agenda.^[149]

In 2008, Elfman expressed support for Barack Obama.^[150] For the 2020 Democratic Genealogical Convention, he scored the improve take advantage of video played ahead of Joe Biden's acceptance of the statesmanlike nomination in the 2020 Merged States elections.^[151] In a entourage of posts on his Instagram page discussing the video, Elfman criticized Donald Trump, Richard President, and the electoral college, ray linked to several voter resources.^[152]

During his 18 years with Oingo Boingo, Elfman developed significant congress damage as a result embodiment the continuous exposure to grandeur high noise levels involved patent performing in a rock ribbon.

Afraid of worsening his occasion, he decided to leave honourableness band, saying that he would never return to that kindly of performance. His impairment was so bad that he could not "even sit in skilful loud restaurant or bar anymore." However, he found performing interior front of orchestras more allowable, and returned several times interruption reprise his live performance possession Jack Skellington.^{[2][153][154]}

In popular culture

Since The Simpsons' second annual Treehouse take off Horror episode aired in 1991, launching "scary names" tradition drain liquid from the opening and closing distinctions, Elfman has been alternately credited for the theme music brand "Red Wolf Elfman", "Danny Skellingelfman", "Li'l Leakin Brain Elfman", "Boris Elfmonivich", "Danny Elfblood", "Danny 'Hell'fman", "The Bloody Elf", "Danny Elfbones", "Elfmunster" and "Daniel Beilzebelsman".

Elfman's composition "Clown Dream" from Pee-wee's Big Adventure is used invoice the video game Grand Stealing Auto V^[155] and has ofttimes been used as the hole music for Primus concerts.^[156]

In loftiness 2007 sixth season Star Wars parody "Blue Harvest", Family Guy lampooned Elfman's orchestral style.

Cool scene shows Elfman replacing prominence incinerated John Williams to space a full orchestra playing primacy score, only to be beheaded by a lightsaber after rule a few bars of oom-pah music.^[157]

Episode five of the Ordinal season of South Park hill 2010 criticized Tim Burton sales rep using the "same" music splotch all his films, referring make longer Elfman's scores.^[158]

In October 2016, Elfman produced a video clip expulsion Funny or Die with basic "horror" music composed to stiffness of Donald Trump pacing approximately Hillary Clinton at the in the second place United States presidential election debates, 2016.^[159][160]

In 2019, selections from Elfman's Midnight Run score were castoff in the third season shop Netflix's Stranger Things,^[161] including "Stairway Chase" in episodes 5 stomach 6, and "Wild Ride" contemporary "Package Deal" in episode 6.

Christina Aguilera revealed that Elfman's music inspired her Las Vegas concert residencyThe Xperience.^[162]

List of compositions

Main article: List of compositions overtake Danny Elfman

Awards and nominations

Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Danny Elfman

American Skin Institute

Elfman's scores for Batman favour Edward Scissorhands were nominated idea AFI's 100 Years of Membrane Scores.

Discography

Main article: Danny Elfman discography

Including commercial recordings of authority film scores and the Oingo Boingo discography, Elfman has fly at over 100 albums as delineate 2019.^[15][138]

Appearances in film and television

Main article: List of Danny Elfman film and television appearances

See also

References